


it's just a fever

by sinspiration



Series: heat/comfort, the way to go [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha Shiro (Voltron), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Galra Shiro (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Keith's heat is not a good time, M/M, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Shiro helps with cuddling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 11:10:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20777612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinspiration/pseuds/sinspiration
Summary: “Nest?” Keith asks. Gasps, really. “What?”Shiro tries not to panic. Do humans not build nests? If Keith grew up human, he might have different heat coping methods. How had Shiro not thought to ask? “If you don’t nest, can you tell me what else will help?”A weak laugh. “I’m okay,” Keith says. Like he’s trying to comfortShiro.“I’m just sick. Do Galra not get sick?”





	it's just a fever

**Author's Note:**

> Galra!Shiro and half-Galra Keith, Keith’s first heat with the Blades, abo and... worksafe.
> 
> Yeah, sure! Why not!
> 
> <s>also this was supposed to be shorter</s>

Even though Shiro had been raised like any other proper Galra, after getting thrown into the arena and surviving a deca-phoeb, there are a lot of things he has to relearn, to regain a sense of self. 

The Blades are decent enough teachers though. Some more patient than others, some more brusque than others, but he is never pitied. And the Blades also give him purpose again. Something bigger and better to fight for. In return, they get Shiro’s loyalty and trust. He dedicates his mind, his strength, to their cause. As he learns how to be a person again, he’s even able to become well-respected. A true warrior, who had survived against all odds, now working for the greater good. 

When Keith, small and uncertain, is introduced to their ranks, Shiro is immediately drawn to him. He recognizes the facade of confidence and remembers his own insecurities, and, yes, part of him also wants to _ protect _. He admits to himself that it’s partially physical; Keith is a good fighter, but he’s still learning in a way Shiro no longer is. He has incredible potential, but he also has disadvantages. He’s fast and strong and his reflexes are good, and he was no doubt a fierce warrior on his home planet, but he isn’t a match yet for Galra size and speed. Shiro wants to teach him. Wants to help him improve so that Keith can better protect himself. 

But it’s in other ways too. Keith has only just learned about his Galran heritage, and he’s shakily navigating it as though he were hesitant kit.

Shiro finds it satisfying to offer explanations and suggestions. To give Keith a hand to hold as he works to understand the customs he’d never learned, the subtleties of body language, and the important traditions and mindsets he hadn’t grown up with. And Keith, though wary at first, now eagerly accepts all that Shiro shows him. He _ tries. _

He tries so hard. 

It’s admirable, of course it is, how hard Keith works and trains and tries. When Shiro says as much, tells Keith how proud he is of him, he doesn’t expect Keith’s wide-eyed surprise and immediate flush. As though he’d never received praise before, or been told that someone believes in him.

That hurts, a little, to discover. But then Keith had seemed so pleased, biting his lip, body language radiating happiness and scent turning sweeter, that Shiro only made a note to make sure to praise Keith more.

But as Shiro learns things in turn, about Keith, and about humans in general, he learns that humans ears and noses and eyes are horribly underpowered. Keith says that his senses are actually _ better _than the average human, and he still can’t scent the way a full-blooded Galra can. He can’t tell a person’s mood based on changing scent, can’t read the micro-vibrations that help a person predict another’s movements. He can see pretty well in the dark, but his eyes don’t even reflect light. 

It’s no wonder he struggles, with the disadvantage of not having regular senses. Shiro offers what advice and information he could, pleased when he receives Keith’s grateful little smile, and it's shocking at first, how quickly Keith becomes so important. But not unpleasant. Not unwelcome. He likes to think Keith feels the same way. 

His scent gets warmer when Shiro is around and his micro-vibrations display relaxation. Everyone else notices of course, and Shiro gets teased, but Keith seems oblivious. Which is fine with Shiro. He enjoys that Keith displays a level of comfort with Shiro as it is. That Keith _ subconsciously _ is sending out those signals…

Well. It certainly does nothing to stop Shiro’s desire to care for him.

***

They usually spend the mornings together, training before parting ways to change, then meeting back up again for breakfast. It’s a typical morning when Shiro enters the training hall and goes about warming up while he waits for Keith to arrive.

Time passes and Keith doesn’t show up, and Shiro grows worried. Keith has never missed morning training before.

He’s trying to decide if he should wait a little longer or just begin his training on his own when the door finally slides open. Shiro perks up, but it’s only Regris, who does a double-take when he catches sight of Shiro. 

“What are you doing here?”

Shiro frowns. Pretty much everybody on board knows he and Keith train together in the morning. He’s gotten plenty of sly comments on that fact alone. Shiro is an exceptional warrior and he’s often asked to spar or help others train, and it’s no secret that he favors Keith immensely with his attention. “What do you mean?”

Regris gives him a funny look. “I thought you’d be with Keith. We _ all _thought you’d be with Keith.”

Shiro gives Regris a funny look right back. “I’m waiting for him.” Comprehension dawns. “Wait, is something wrong?” 

Even as he says it, he’s moving past Regris, out of the training hall. Regris says something behind him, but Shiro doesn’t catch it, too busy making a beeline for Keith’s room.He comes to a sharp stop when he reaches Keith’s door, eyes widening as he takes in the scent.

The Blade’s ship is built for Galra and Galra senses, so walls and doors are reinforced and lined, to best provide privacy in a place where there is so little. Even with that, however, certain things slip through the cracks.

Keith is in heat.

By himself.

And the sweet, intoxicating scent of him is tinged with the sour smell of misery and fear.

Shiro keys in the code to Keith’s door, bracing himself for the increased power of Keith’s scent without a wall to keep it at bay, and hurries inside, door sliding closed behind him. “Keith?” he calls out as he walks forward. “It’s me, Shiro. I just want to make sure you’re alright.”

He looks toward the bed, but it’s stripped, which is worrying in itself. Instead of a soft, comfortable nest, it’s just a bare mattress. Even worse though, is that Keith isn’t on it. The room is thick with Keith’s scent–he _ has _ to be here–

A whine comes from under the bed, followed by a shaky, “Shiro?”

Shiro immediately gets on his hands and knees to peer under the bed and has to stifle his sharp intake of breath at what he sees.

Keith is curled into a ball, back pressed against the far wall underneath his bunk. He looks awful, clearly feverish, and his blanket is fisted tightly in his hands. It’s a horribly sad excuse for a nest. Keith should be on his bed surrounded by lovely soft things. “Keith? I’m here. I’m here, it’s okay.”

For a Galra going through heat or rut, touch and proximity are tantamount. Sex fulfills the overwhelming need and is thus the best and easiest way to achieve that, but when that isn’t an option, whatever the reason, closeness and tactility still do wonders to provide comfort and calm.

Keith could definitely use comforting. He’s obviously stressed out of his mind, and no doubt feeling awful on top of that. He’s in full-blown heat and alone, without even a proper nest or someone stroking his hair. 

Shiro curses himself for somehow missing Keith’s pre-heat signs but even as he wracks his brain, he can’t remember Keith _ exhibiting _any that would have given Shiro warning. His scent hadn’t changed, as far as any of them had noticed. Keith hadn’t started collecting things for his nest. He hadn’t put in a request for preferred food or been any more tactile than usual or sought out heat partners…

He bites down a growl at the idea of Keith seeking out a heat partner that isn’t _ him, _and is at least grateful that Keith wouldn’t have been able to sense the momentary change in Shiro’s scent. Keith needs him right now, and needs him to be warm and reassuring, not stupid and possessive.

“Do you want to come out?” he tries. “I can bring you things for a nest.” It’s only a short trip to the supply closet that houses the rut/heat supplies. 

Wait.

Had he never shown Keith the closet? 

It crashes down on Shiro that he’s part of the reason Keith is so miserable now. Keith isn’t the type to ask for things. Shiro was the one responsible for showing Keith around, and he hadn’t told Keith where to help himself to nesting supplies? 

But he can curse himself later. Keith needs help now. And he hasn’t answered Shiro’s question. “Keith? Do you want me to help you build a nest?” Maybe...maybe once Keith has a nest and feels safe, Shiro could… could also offer to hold him.

“Nest?” Keith asks. Gasps, really. “What?”

Shiro tries not to panic. Do humans not build nests? If Keith grew up human, he might have different heat coping methods. How had Shiro not thought to ask? “If you don’t nest, can you tell me what else will help?”

A weak laugh. “I’m okay,” Keith says. Like he’s trying to comfort _ Shiro. _ “I’m just sick. Do Galra not get sick?”

“Humans call heat a sickness?” Shiro asks, trying to tamp down his outrage. He knew humans sorely lacked proper pack tendencies, but heat and rut was about _ closeness. _ Re-establishing connection to your pack and bonding with those you cared about and trusting them to take care of you. He’d nearly cried the first time he’d experienced a rut with the Blades. Not wanting sex, but just being able to curl up among his comrades and exprience scent and tactility and safety after the arena had been…

Keith whimpers again. Shiro unsheathes his claws and digs them into the floor to keep from trying to scramble under the bed to him, every instinct wanting to comfort and protect. “Shh, it’s okay. It’s okay. Whatever humans call it. You’re still in heat and I can help in anyway you want me to. Do you want to come out from under the bed?” 

Keith’s glassy eyes take him in. “It’s… it’s just you, right?”

“If you want it to be.” Shiro can’t help the surge of satisfaction even amid his panic. Keith wants _ him. _ Only him.

“You can’t make fun of me,” Keith says, inching forward. “I’m just sick.”

“I’d never make fun of you for having a heat,” Shiro promises horrified. 

Keith stops moving and squints at him from beneath his sweaty bangs. “Why do you keep saying that?” 

He’s close enough that Shiro could just reach an arm out and pull him in, but Shiro clamps down on the desire to do so. Keth comes to him on his own terms or not at all. “Saying what?”

“Heat,” Keith says. “What’s… what is that?”

Shiro was too popular, as Champion, to be killed behind the scenes for small insubordinations. Instead there were other punishments. One of his most hated was being forced to withstand a frigid water jet for as long as his captors decided he should endure.

Right now he feels as though he’s been doused in that spray. “You don’t know what a heat is?”

There is an agonizing moment of stillness and then Keith slowly shakes his head. His voice is incredibly tentative when he asks, “Is it a Galra thing?”

Realization slams into Shiro. It isn’t just that Keith was mistreated and neglected during his heats. _ Humans didn’t have them. _

“They are, yes.” He makes his voice as soothing as he can. “Have you been sick like this before?”

“Couple times a year,” Keith mumbles. “Usually around February and September, like clockwork.”

“Have you ever been able to have someone help you?” Shiro asks hesitantly, hoping for the best. He doesn’t know what a February is, but sounds like a time counter. So maybe twice a deca-phoeb? That’s less often than average; quarterly is the most usual, but with Keith’s mixed heritage, it makes sense. Even if Keith just had a friend to go to, to touch and scent and feel safe with--

Keith withdraws a little, curling in on himself that much more. He’s started to shiver. “No, I-I was already in group homes when I started getting sick like this. I didn’t want anyone to touch me. People sometimes tried, so I hid when I could.”

Shiro’s back to horrified. He’d known that Keith hadn’t had the happiest of experiences growing up on Earth, but this puts things into a new, awful context. “Oh, Keith.” 

“But I don’t… I don’t think I’d mind you touching me. If it was just you.” Keith swallows. “It’s really a Galra thing?”

“I’ll explain everything when it passes,” Shiro promises. “But for now, I can help you feel better. And then we can talk about what you can do the next time your heat comes on, so you don’t have to spend it feeling awful. Okay?”

“O-Okay.”

Shiro beckons. “Come out? You’ll be more comfortable on your bed, not under it.”

Keith nods and crawls forward again, Shiro sitting up and scooting back to give him some room. When Keith emerges, still clutching his blanket, Shiro takes stock of him and his heart clenches at how pale and trembly and obviously shaken he is.

“Here,” Shiro says gently. “Let’s get you comfortable.”

Keith nods again and climbs onto his bed, tucking his blanket up around him as he gets seated. Shiro’s first thought is again of the supply closet, where Shiro could get Keith the soft nesting items he deserves, but now that he knows what he knows, he’s loath to leave Keith even for a moment. He’ll just have to make do.

He doesn't touch Keith yet, because he doesn’t want to have to take the touch away. Instead he goes to rummage around Keith’s room. Keith’s closet is mostly full of uniforms, which are not ideal but will at least add bulk to the nest, but Shiro despairs at finding anything really suitable. Eventually he finds a few towels. They’re far from plush, but they were built for absorbency so there’s at least some padding.

He alights on Keith’s datapad and quickly unlocks it to send out a few requests. Actual, proper nesting supplies, as well as a meal and snacks delivered to the room. Normally he’d fetch them himself, but there’s no way he’s leaving Keith alone.

The last thing he grabs up is Keith’s water bottle, discarded on the floor, before filling it in the little sink in the room. In a perfect world Shiro would also have favorite foods to offer, to entice Keith into eating, but hopefully that will at least be solved soon.

He can’t help feeling like a disgrace as he brings his meagre bundle to the bed and starts arranging it around Keith. Some alpha _ he _ is, not even being able to provide basic comfort for someone so important.

Keith makes a questioning noise as Shiro piles uniforms on his bed, but seems content to allow Shiro to do what he wants. It’s only once Shiro moves to join him that he reacts at all, scooting back toward the wall to make room for Shiro’s larger bulk.

“Keith,” Shiro says as he pulls his legs up onto the bed, “contact will help you feel better. Are you still okay with me touching you?”

Keith exhalves shakily. “I-yeah. I think so.”

“Okay.” Shiro fights the urge to gather him up and stays where he is, opening up his arms. “Come here?”

Keith slowly shuffles forward, until his hand presses down on one of Shiro’s outstretched legs. Then his eyes widen and he lets out a whimper, nearly throwing himself against Shiro’s chest to bury his face in his neck.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay,” Shiro says closing his arms around him. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. You’re okay.”

Keith shudders in his arms. “Oh my god,” he gasps. “Oh my god, Shiro–” His voice breaks, and Shiro can feel tears on his skin.

“I’ve got you. I’ve got you, Keith.” Moving on instinct, he brings a hand up to cup the back of Keith’s neck, putting just a little pressure there.

Keith sobs and tries to press closer, and Shiro has to close his own eyes to center himself, because he’s viscerally reminded of the three terrible ruts he experienced during his captivity–and Keith has been unsafe and alone for his heats his _ whole life. _

He pulls Keith fully into his lap and curls his body around him, trying to surround and touch as much of him as he can. He keeps his hand on Keith’s neck and uses the other to stroke down his back as he murmurs assurances and praise. _ You’re doing so good. It’s okay. You were so strong for such a long time, but it’s okay. It’s okay, I’m here now. You’re so good, Keith. You’re doing so well. _

Keith clutches at him and shakes and Shiro continues to do his best to exude calm contentment. He loses himself a little in Keith’s touch and scent, especially as Keith grows a little less frantic. He breathes a sigh of relief as the sour scent starts to fade. 

Until there is a knock on the door and Keith becomes a block of ice. “Keith? Keith it’s okay. I asked for some supplies. They’ll help you. I’m just going to grab them, okay?”

“No!” Keith is wild-eyed. “No, no please. Please don’t leave me, please–”

Alarmed, Shiro tries to calm him down again. “I won’t leave. I won’t, I promise. I’m right here.”

Keith doesn’t seem to hear him. “I’ll be good–I’m sorry, I don’t need anything, I don’t–please don’t leave me alone–I can–whatever you want, please–” it’s clearly unconscious movement when he bares his neck, because he can’t possibly know what it means.

It’s not even a thought for Shiro to just scoop Keith up as he stands. Keith cuddles in close, tucking his head up underneath Shiro’s chin. “Please,” he whimpers.

Shiro keeps up a steady stream of soft murmurs as he walks over to the door, shifting Keith to one arm so he can key it open. He relaxes marginally when he sees the bundle right outside. 

Whoever brought the bundle was smart enough to make themselves scarce so as not to further overwhelm, but Shiro makes sure to grab the datapad on his way back to the bed, so that he can send updates and further requests.

He gets settled back on the bed. “See?” he tries as he starts to open the bundle with one hand. “That’s it. That’s all it was. We’re okay. Right?”

“R-right,” Keith croaks from where he’s huddled into Shiro’s chest.

It’s something. And good, Shiro smiles as he pulls out the blanket. It’s big and soft, spun of Xanth fur, and a great start.

He tucks the blanket around the both of them. “How’s that?”

“S’soft.” Keith rubs his cheek against it before pressing it back against Shiro. “Nice.”

“Next heat, you’ll have a whole nest of blankets like this,” Shiro promises. “And whatever else you want.” He holds up the thermos of broth that was also included. By Shiro’s nose, it’s the rich, flavorful, and vitamin-rich broth made specifically for energy rejuvenation. “Can you drink something for me?””

Time passes as Shiro coaxes Keith into drinking the broth and then taking some sips of water. He rocks Keith in his lap and runs his hands over Keith’s back and strokes his hair.

It would be _ bliss _ if Keith weren’t so unhappy.

But eventually Keith fully calms, breathing going deep and even, until he finally falls asleep even with the heat-haze. 

Shiro rubs his cheek over the top of Keith’s head and tries not to worry about what will happen when Keith wakes up. He has no way to predict how Keith will feel or react. Shiro can only hope this was the worst of it, and that falling asleep calmer and then waking up safe and comfortable will help stave off another bad heatwave.

Keith was also clearly too out of his mind with fear to allow his body to succumb to arousal. Shiro’s glad of that failsafe more than ever. Considering the overall situation, he can’t imagine that Keith would feel arousal during this heat even if he woke up feeling on top of the world. Heat-sickness has too much negative connotation right now. It took Shiro three ruts after the arena before he was able to experience arousal during them again, and another two before he was comfortable enough to allow himself to indulge in the desire, no matter how heady.

Shiro bites his lip as Keith nuzzles closer in sleep. He just wants Keith to feel good. Happy and safe. He wants Keith to experience a _ good _ heat. A proper one, where Keith is taken care of the way he deserves. 

Where Shiro can take care of him, if that’s what Keith allows.

He has a lot to talk to Keith about. But all of that will have to wait until Keith is feeling better.

For now, Shiro pulls the blanket a little tighter around them and gives himself permission to gather his own calmness from the person in his arms.

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently I'm determined to take sexy things and make them not that. I hope this isn't a permanent feature.
> 
> Come yell with me on [twitter!](https://twitter.com/justsayins/)


End file.
